CLERMONT, Fla. – For the third day in a row the Post University softball team split a pair of games at the NTC Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. The Eagles were defeated 11-2 in their opener against Southwest Minnesota State but rallied to defeat LeMoyne 2-0 in game two.
Sophomore
Emily Schaffer (Hazlet, N.J.) and junior
Kristen Owens (Exton, Pa.) each had three hits on the day for Post. Sophomore
Erica Ragazzone (Philadelphia, Pa.) drove in two runs.
Southwest Minnesota State 11, Post 2The Mustangs put up runs in both the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. Freshman
Zoe Bunch (Pennsville, N.J.) drew a walk to start the bottom of the third and stole second. Owens followed with an infield single and later stole second to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out.
Sophomore
Aja DeGrauw (Shirley, N.Y.) was walked to load the bases. Ragazzone hit a sacrifice fly to push across the first Eagles' run and make the score 2-1 after three innings.
Southwest Minnesota added a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth to extend its advantage to 6-1. Owens walked to lead off the fifth for Post and later came home to score on a passed ball. Post had singles in each of the final two innings, but a five-run seventh for the Mustangs put the game away.
Post 2, LeMoyne 0Singles by Schaffer and freshman
Marissa Wilson (Holbrook, N.Y.) began the second inning for Post. After a strikeout, both runners advanced into scoring position on wild pitch. Owens put the Eagles on top 1-0 with an RBI single to left field.
It was a pitcher's duel throughout the middle innings as neither team could advance a runner past second base. Post added some insurance in the seventh inning as base hits by sophomores
Natalie Lennox (Landenberg, Pa.),
Korie McDonald (Middleboro, Mass.) and senior
Kayla Kresley (Alburtis, Pa.) loaded the bases with no outs. Lennox came home on Ragazzone's second sacrifice fly of the day as the Eagles led 2-0.
The Dolphins had a two-out base runner in the bottom of the seventh after an error by Post, but she was stranded a first.
Senior
Samantha Esque (Springfield, Pa.) threw her third complete game of the year and second shutout. She allowed just three hits and one walk while adding a strikeout.
Post is back in action again tomorrow against Sioux Falls (5 p.m.) and Pittsburgh-Johnstown (7 p.m.).